The Smith County Sheriff's Office is working an increased number of burglaries in the Southwest portion of Smith County and is warning citizens to take extra precautions to prevent becoming a victim.

Over the past three weeks, the Smith County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division has responded to approximately 15 burglaries, many of them auto burglaries, in the Running Meadows Addition in Flint, and on FM 2493 and FM 2813.

Most of the burglaries are occurring between 3 p.m. and the early morning hours of the following day.

“We encourage everyone to remove all valuables from their vehicles, take the valuables inside their home, and lock their vehicles when not in use,” said Sheriff Larry Smith. “If a criminal cannot see anything of valuable in a vehicle, they are not likely to break into it.”

The Sheriff’s Office reports that most of the items taken include purses, jewelry, credit/debit cards, guns and cash.

If anyone has information regarding these burglaries, please contact Detective Aaron Hinton at 904-590-2698, Smith County Dispatch at 903-566-6600 or Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF.